MOUNT VERNON – Repaving Pleasant Street has been delayed until next year to coordinate with school bus traffic, Mayor Matt Starr told the Mount Vernon News.
The hours school buses run make it difficult to allow the time necessary for the asphalt to set properly without causing any disruption at the school, he said.
The city wants to avoid having to immediately repair fresh asphalt because it didn’t set properly. Workers also will check on the manhole covers to determine whether they are at the right height to keep them from being covered by the asphalt.
However, other work will proceed in the area.
“Columbia Gas is still working in there, replacing some of their aging infrastructure gas lines,” Starr said.
City crews ran into a bit of a snag on South Catherine Street with the base soil, Starr said. They needed to dig down another 6 inches because the clay and sand mix has been part of the reason bricks were not staying level.
“You couldn't drive more than like 5 or 10 miles an hour without bottoming out on some of these pavers,” he said.
After digging deeper, crews added some crushed concrete and installed a geo grid that helps balance out the pressure from traffic to stabilize the soil base.
Streets
As the city prepares for paving and other projects, its Streets Department raises stormwater manholes to match the pavement height.
“Our crew gets out there and they raise these manhole covers, and they're flush with the surface rather than buried,” Starr said.
Buried manhole covers require a jackhammer to unearth.
The Street Department also has been preparing for the leaf season, beginning Nov. 1.
In the meantime, residents can drop off any loose leaves at the Thayer Road composting facility.
The city can’t just dump the leaves it hauls from the streets in the trash. A certified landfill must be used because the leaves pick up oils and other debris.
Census figures
Mount Vernon easily retained its status as a city in Ohio as its population in the 2020 Census was 16,956.
The cutoff between village and city is 5,000 residents.
“One of the things that I think is related to that is the county's population. Knox County grew 3% over the past decade,” Starr said.
Police
The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police will conduct an assessment center at City Hall on Oct. 16 to complete the promotion process for police department sergeants, the mayor said. The intensive written and oral examination will take most of the day, with candidates assessed on how they deal with and respond to various scenarios and situations.
“We really like this tool because it's more than just a written test,” Starr said.
The latest PAK – Police and Kids United – “Angling with the Kids” was held at Ariel Foundation Park on Oct. 6. Approximately 20 kids participated, with Ohio Wildlife Officer Austin Levering assisting.
Sponsors included Rick’s Sporting goods, Susie Simpson from Knox Mobility, Kokosing Valley Junior Anglers, Pleasant View Pines and Police Chief Robert Morgan.
Parks
Routine mowing has been on tap for the Parks Department.
Water bags have been removed from trees also. During a certain time of year, the watering bags are hung from trees, Starr said. “It allows them to develop that root system systematically and (be) more structurally sound.”
A water hydrant was added at Arch Avenue Park near the community garden.
